Post-doc: Water Scarcity (South Africa)
Future Water, a recently formed interdisciplinary research institute based at UCT, is looking for four dynamic and motivated post-doctoral fellows to join a diverse multi-disciplinary team focused on alleviating water scarcity. Research within the Future Water institute focuses on four major themes: 'New Taps' – new water resources; 'Blue-Green Infrastructure' – water sensitive design and management; 'Adapting to Change' – building resilience / governance and policy; and 'Maximising Value' – maximising value from minimal and shrinking resources. The Institute promotes an interdisciplinary approach combining aspects of social anthropology, social science and political and public-policy studies, engineering, environmental and biological sciences, public health, law, sustainability science, the built environment including architecture, and economics. It is anticipated that one new postdoctoral fellow will be appointed to each of the above four research themes and that, collectively, the postdoctoral fellows will span a range of disciplines.
These postdoctoral fellowships provide an opportunity for novel integration of research focused on the challenges of water scarcity and on water sensitive design across the above-mentioned disciplines in order to address the key themes of Future Water.
Suitable candidates must have, within the past five years, graduated, or shortly expect to graduate, with a PhD in an appropriate discipline, but they may not have held any prior permanent professional or academic posts. They must have a keen interest in team-based, interdisciplinary research which focuses centrally on the challenges faced in attempts to alleviate water scarcity, and on means to address those challenges, as well as on socio-political challenges that arise from attempting to implement those means. Candidates for the postdoctoral fellowship will be expected to demonstrate significant research experience and/or be in the process of generating a peer-reviewed publication record.
The Future Water institute provides excellent skills development and mentorship opportunities for researchers intending to pursue an academic or research career, and encourages postdoctoral fellows to become involved in project initiation and development, and the supervision of post-graduate students. The fellowship is tenable for one year in the first instance, with start dates negotiable between 1 September 2016 and 1 January 2017. Renewal for a second year is contingent on satisfactory academic progress and funding availability. The value of each fellowship will be commensurate with the applicant's qualifications and experience; and in compliance with SARS policy, will be exempt from taxation. The successful candidates will be required to register as Postdoctoral Fellows (PDRF) at the University of Cape Town and to comply with the university's policies and practices of the PDRF sector.
To apply, candidates are invited to send a CV, including research experience, a list of research outputs and the contact details of two appropriate referees by e-mail to
